The Stack Overflow Developer Survey for 2023 ranked Visual Studio Code (VSCode) as the most preferred integrated developer environment (IDE).
Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a popular open-source code editor that offers a rich ecosystem of extensions to enhance productivity. With the right extensions, developers can automate repetitive tasks, get intelligent code recommendations, and streamline their workflow.
I have tested over 20 different extensions in the last year and have refined my favorite list. These extensions boost my productivity as a software engineer. To boost your productivity, I’m sharing this list with you.
Prettier:
Code formatting made easy! Prettier is a widely used extension that ensures consistent code styling across your project. It supports multiple languages and can be configured to follow your team’s coding standards. Save time and debates on formatting with Prettier.
This code formatter enforces consistent style across a codebase. Prettier supports various languages, automatically analyzing and formatting code according to standardized rules. This eliminates debates over coding style and enhances collaboration.
GitLens:
Collaborating on projects becomes seamless with GitLens. This extension enhances the built-in Git capabilities of VS Code, providing an interactive and informative interface to visualize code changes, commit history, and blame annotations. Stay in control of your version control with GitLens.
GitLens integrates annotations throughout the VSCode editor, providing powerful insights into your repositories with tons of Git information.
GitHub Copilot:
An AI pair programmer that provides autocomplete-style suggestions as you code. GitHub Copilot simplifies writing unit tests, helps developers code faster, and focuses on more satisfying work.
GitHub Copilot’s strength lies in its integration with OpenAI, which allows it to access a vast repository of open-source code and provide contextually relevant and practical suggestions. This feature not only boosts coding speed but also serves as a valuable learning tool, helping users to learn diverse coding patterns and best practices.
Code Spell Checker:
Avoid embarrassing typos and spelling mistakes in your code comments and documentation with Code Spell Checker. This extension checks your code for spelling errors and suggests corrections, ensuring your communication remains professional and error-free.
Tabnine:
An AI code assistant that boosts development velocity with real-time code completions in all popular coding languages and IDEs. Tabnine uses machine learning models trained on open-source code to generate entire functions without leaving the editor.
Beyond basic code completion, it considers the context and provides relevant suggestions. This can be particularly useful when working with complex codebases that require extensive exploration.
Tabnine uses adaptive learning to match the developer’s coding style in various programming languages. Privacy is a top priority, and the code is never saved or shared.
Path Intellisense:
Navigating through your project’s file structure becomes a breeze with Path Intellisense. This extension autocompletes file paths, reducing the likelihood of typos and speeding up your workflow. It’s a small addition but makes a significant impact on your overall efficiency.
Peacock:
Stay organized and visually distinguish between multiple VS Code instances with Peacock. This extension lets you colorize your workspace, making it easy to identify different projects or environments at a glance. It’s a simple yet effective way to enhance your workflow.
Peacock comes with a range of preselected colors, while also allowing for user-defined custom colors.
TODO Highlight
Never forget a task again with TODO Highlight, which emphasizes tasks and annotations with colorful highlights.
It is not uncommon to come across an unused or outdated piece of code in a system that has been in use for a long time. It can be difficult to remember to remove such elements. TODO Highlight is a helpful tool that serves as a reminder to avoid leaving unnecessary code in the system.
Todo Tree:
An extension that shows a tree view of TODO, FIXME, and other keywords in your code. Todo Tree helps developers keep track of tasks and issues that need to be addressed.
It has a dedicated section in the side activity bar. When clicked on, each item opens the related file with the highlighted content for immediate attention.
ChatGPT — Genie AI:
A Visual Studio Code extension that integrates OpenAI’s advanced language models to provide real-time assistance and intelligent suggestions for coding. ChatGPT — Genie AI streamlines the coding process by providing a diff between your code and the AI’s suggestions.
Code Runner:
A Visual Studio Code extension that can run code files and snippets for a wide range of programming languages. Code Runner supports C, C++, Java, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, Go, Lua, Groovy, PowerShell, TypeScript, Swift, Julia, Rust, Kotlin, Dart, Haskell, and more.
Live Server:
For web developers, Live Server is a game-changer. It allows you to see real-time changes in your browser as you edit your HTML, CSS, or JavaScript files. No more manual refreshing—Live Server makes the development process smoother and more interactive.
As we move forward into the future of development, it’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest advancements. The Visual Studio Code extensions mentioned are great tools to increase productivity and simplify the coding process. By customizing these extensions to your specific workflow, you can see a noticeable improvement in efficiency and code quality. Take advantage of the robust ecosystem that Visual Studio Code and its extensions have to offer to stay ahead of the game.